Top 10 Low Horsepower Cars

2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Fast and expensive cars probably make up a good percentage of online searches – such luxury objects are always good fodder for daydreaming. But the cars on the opposite end of the spectrum also deserve plenty of respect. They might not be drop dead gorgeous or star in high-concept commercials, but the top 10 low horsepower cars, at any given time, are probably largely responsible for getting the masses where they’re going.

The top 10 least powerful cars are a design achievement of their own – auto manufacturers know that they won’t sell cars with low horsepower based on traditional go-fast appeal, so these vehicles must have other merits to ensure they won’t get completely passed over on the dealer lots. The ideal consumer for a new low horsepower car is one who doesn’t even care, and might not even realize, that the car would land on such a list, because the car meets other basic needs.

If you’re interested in buying a new car based on price or other budget-minded factors, low powered cars are a good place to start, but it’s not a foolproof strategy. Keep in mind that cars with low power are not always the most efficient, so if that’s what you’re after, shop cautiously. Some of the cars with the least amount of horsepower might be able to take advantage of that characteristic, but just because an engine has a low power output, shoppers shouldn’t assume the car was engineered for good mpg or environmentally friendly bragging rights. Many low horsepower cars are simply low priced cars that have small, but not necessarily particularly efficient engines, so, cars with the least amount of power output don’t always consume the least power. Consumers who are shopping for low horsepower cars with the goal of thriftiness should carefully research mileage and efficiency ratings.